Dominance
by Kurieo Parnok
Summary: Starscream shows some over-confident recruits why he's the second in command of the Decepticons, in spite of his reputation. One shot.


**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers, not me. The "recruits" in this story are figments of my imagination.**

Starscream felt like his back jet would be crushed under him as he slammed into it crashing into the wall. Red and blue paint scrapped off onto the white wall as he slid to the floor, his jet-embedded booted heels clunking against the hard floor in defeat as his wings seemed to hang from his back in shame.

"_Lord_ Starscream?" the leader of the new seekers, a green and black mech by the name of Poison, sneered. "It's amazing that you're even the commander of the Seekers, let alone second-in-command of the _Decepticon army_!"

Starscream gritted his teeth together as he forced himself to his feet. His already beaten body whined for a rest, but he forced it down. This was a small scrap that was barely past being a Sparkling—he had to establish his authority over the new recruits! But Primus, could these "Sparklings" punch…

"You listen here, _brat_," Starscream snarled, forcing him self to stand to straight on weak, shaky knees. "The reason why I'm so far in the ranks is because I'm _smart_ enough to survive this long in the war!"

"Yeah, only because you always run away all the time!" a cerulean and black Seeker by the name of Amigo cackled in his rudely loud voice.

"You said it, bro," Amigo's brother, a scarlet and cerulean mech by the name of Iceblood agreed, smacking his brother on the shoulder.

"I could have you scrap pieces in the brig!" Starscream snapped.

"Yeah? On what charges?" Poison asked, placing one hand on his hip while the other flipped in the air. He gestured a lot while he talked. "That you got your aft handed to you by a teenage mech in your squad? Face it, Starscream, you're a _has-been_! You're washed up! You don't even have the respect of energon processors! Just sit back down, Starscream, and quietly die while _my_ crew takes over the Seekers. Under me," Poison said, his jet wings straightening up in pride, "The Seekers will once more be an aerial squad that will strike fear into the Sparks of our enemies when they hear our jets screeching in the air! When they see us coming, they'll go running for cover, knowing that Death's aviators have come!"

The enthusiasim and confidence was admirable, but futile.

Starscream smirked. "You know, you remind me of myself when I first became a Seeker. I thought that I was going to make my squad something to fear, too. But I soon learned that trying to build your squad into killers is pointless. Just think for yourself, kid, and you'll live to make a name for yourself."

"A name for myself, eh?" Poison asked, crossing his arms across his chest and narrowing one optic in annoyance, "As what, the coward who abandons his mechs constantly? You never had killers to work with, Screamer!" He snorted and turned his back on the red, white, and blue Seeker.

"Just die, Starscream," he said. "Just make it easier on yourself and _die_."

Seeing a target, Starscream lowered his shoulder-mounted cannons and shot. Amigo opened his mouth to warn Poison, but Poison knew. Spinning around and ducking to avoid the blow, the twin laser shots missed him completely. He came up with a clenched fist that connected solidly with Starscream's jaw, knocking him off his feet and sprawling across the floor.

"And another thing, Screamer," Poison said smugly, waving a finger at the fallen Seeker. "_Try_ to make a face shot once in a while, hmm?"

"Fine then," Starscream grunted.

Launching himself from the floor, all aches and pains Starscream had felt became mute in shock as he revealed his true warrior self, returning the jaw punch right back at Poison. Poison fell into Amigo and the two young Seekers toppled to the floor in shock. Poison's optics dimmed and he fell limp. Starscream flicked his blazing red optics at Iceblood, _daring_ him to do anything. When Iceblood backed away in submission, Starscream kicked Poison in the side, reviving the mech with the pain.

"Get up," Starscream snapped. "If you think that you have what it takes to run the Seekers, then you will defeat me. Get up!"

Poison spat some glowing purple substance from his mouth, letting it splatter on the wall as he got up and whipped his mouth off of the stuff.

"Pheh, you're just going to run when you start loose-"

Starscream's right fist caught Poison's cheek, followed by his other fist, then a foot to the side before Starscream dropped and swung a leg out, knocking Poison's legs out from under him and making him do a full flip in the air before landing hard on his back. Starscream stood up, grabbing Poison by his wings and yanking him to his feet. Poison cried out like an electronic bird in pain as his wings creaked with the force of the pull, but he was flung against the wall and Starscream was there, pinning him to the wall with the Seekers' identical faces mere inches from each other.

"Remember this, boy," Starscream hissed to Poison. "Yes, I may run. Yes, I may hide. Yes, I may plead for mercy. And yes, I may not have the respect that I _deserve_, but you remember this, boy: I am second in command of the Decepticon Army, the elite Seekers squad, and possess dreams of power _for good reason_. This is the Decepticon Army, not what ever glorified gladiator pit you were dragged from. No one gives a scrap bout glory if they know what's good for them and those mechs are usually last the longest, like me. I've only survived this long because I know what I'm doing. You remember that, Poison, before I am forced to show you just _how_ brutal I may be."

Thus speaking, he flung Poison at Amigo and Iceblood, knocking both Seekers onto their aft as Poison toppled into their laps.

"Now go and prepare for air exercises!" Starscream snapped. "And get ready—they're going to be _rough_ today."


End file.
